Denver Summer Events 2018

There are many different, and exciting, Denver summer events to pique your interest as you plan your trip to the Mile High City. Some of them include outdoor concerts, indoor concerts, brew festivals and live music festivals.

It may surprise you when you think of Denver, but there are also many different live theater events that you will not want to miss during your vacation.

Denver is well known for being diverse and holds such events such as Denver PrideFest, Comic Con and the Cherry Creek Arts Festival.

If you are into sports, well you are in luck as some of the summer sporting events in Denver include Rockies baseball, Denver Outlaws lacrosse, Rapids soccer and pre-season Denver Broncos football.

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Summer Outdoor Concerts

Some of the best Denver Summer Events include outdoor concerts. Four of the best places to catch an outdoor concert this summer are Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, Denver Botanical Gardens, and Hudson Gardens in Littleton.

Each of these venues has a variety of bands and performers each month. All of them are located outdoors, so you can enjoy the clear summer evenings outside.

Denver Summer Events: Other Concerts

In addition to the outdoor concerts that are part of the Denver summer events, there are a lot of indoor concerts to check out. Some of these include smaller venues such as The Ogden, the Bluebird and the Paramount.

Many of these concert sites are more intimate, classically designed and allow you to see the performers with more ease and without as much fuss and hassle as a large concert.

That being stated, there are some bigger event locations, like the Pepsi Center, which holds around 18,000 people.

Almost every night this summer, you will find an indoor concert in the Denver area.

Beer Festivals

Denver is well known for its beer and beer festivals. In fact, Denver has over 70 different breweries alone! For that very good reason, there are a number of beer festivals in the mile high city every year.

Some of these include the aptly named Denver Summer Brew Festival, the Stapleton Brew Fest, the Biergarten Brew Fest, and the Arvada on Tap - A Craft and Brew Fest. Each of these festivals have their own special feel, and obviously taste, and none of them are to be missed if you are a beer fan.

One of the benefits of the brew festivals in Denver is that the water is so clean and the air so clear that you know you are drinking some of the best beer to be found anywhere in the world! So have a pint or two and enjoy the great outdoors!

Best Places to Stay this Summer in Denver

If you plan to attend any of these Denver Summer Events, then I recommend spending a night or two checking out our other fun things to do. Click the links below to find some of the best places to stay during your visit.

Music Festivals

Another great benefit of being in Denver during the summer is its music festivals. You are almost unlimited in the styles of music you can hear at these festivals and many of them are in gorgeous locations all around Denver.

Music in these festivals range from world famous DJs, hip-hop, rock 'n roll, reggae and even bluegrass. One of my favorite bluegrass festivals is the Brewgrass Festival which combines great bluegrass music and beer from the local breweries. There is also the Blues & Brews festival if that is more your speed.

Other Summer Festivals

While most people love the beer and music festivals, this summer in Denver you will also find dozens of other festivals. They include our popular arts festivals as well as our local street fairs.

Some of the biggest this summer include the Cherry Creek Arts Festival over Fourth of July weekend, the Kids Festival over Father's Day weekend, and the colorful Dragon Boat Festival in late July.

There is pretty much a great festival for everyone this summer in Denver.

Click the links below for a list of all festivals by month this summer.

Theater Productions

If you are a theater buff, then you are in luck when you come to visit the city of Denver. It may not be as well known for its theater as New York, Las Vegas or Chicago, but Denver very much holds its own.

Denver has some of top traveling Broadway shows as well as smaller and lesser known local shows. You will have your choice of anything from the biggest hits to the smallest, and most intimate, theater production you could imagine.

The locales also range from large theaters such as The Buell, which holds over 2,000 people, to The Stage Theater which holds about 750 people continuing all the way down to the Garner Galleria which holds barely over 200 people.

Pridefest Denver

Denver is quite proud of its PrideFest. This annual event is huge, both in meaning and also in people attending, with over 350,000 people from all over Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region!

As expected, PrideFest has an annual parade, which you are sure to enjoy as people usually have one their best costumes and want to show their pride in being able to be themselves. There are also floats in the parade and lots of music too.

If you are into a bit of exercise before you party, there is a 5K run and, if you won't be around for the actual PrideFest, there are events the entire month of June so you won't miss out!

Comic Con

The Denver Comic Con is one of the Denver Summer events that everyone should visit at least once in their life. It includes interesting costumes and cosplay. It also features many stars of stage, screen and the comic book world, so make sure to check in advance and see if one your heroes will be attending the Denver Comic Con!

One of the benefits of the Denver Comic Con is that they donate money to support a school literacy program. This means you will not only be having a great day out but you will be helping others at the same time.

It is one of the Denver Summer events that is a family friendly. It allows all ages, however, anyone under the age of 12 has to be with an adult at all times.

Father's Day

Date: Sunday, June 17

Locations: Various

Father's Day in Denver is always a great time to do something fun with dear old dad. There are many events to choose from and you can be sure he will enjoy his special day with you.

Some of the Denver Summer events on Father's Day range from the the Greek Festival, to the Father's Day Car Show in Arvada, to the Foothills Explorer Tour from Denver, which is a personal favorite of mine.

Cherry Blossom Festival

Dates: June 23 & 24

Times: Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Location: Sakura Square (20th and Lawrence St.)

Another one of the best Denver Summer Events is the Cherry Blossom Festival. Every year, it includes activities such as Taiko drumming, food tasting, traditional dancing, lectures on Zen Buddhism and Ikebana displays and demonstrations (Japanese flower arranging art).

Make sure to enjoy some of the delicious foods that are offered at the Cherry Blossom Festival. These always include such favorites as soba noodles, sushi and chicken teriyaki. You can also sample Japanese beer to quench your thirst.

Last but not least, there is a special kid's area where children can play all weekend long.

Comedians in Denver this Summer

If you are in need of a laugh while on your trip, Denver is the answer to your comedic question. With a summer full of varying comedy acts, you will be able to find an act that will make you laugh until your stomach hurts.

These comedians range from internationally famous ones like Cedric the Entertainer, Eddie Griffin, to the Daily Show's own Trevor Noah. Others are less known but just as talented and you just might catch an up-and-coming star!

Many of these venues are spread throughout Denver and range from larger spaces to more intimate ones that let you get closer to the comedian. These locations include Backstage at Beryl's, Voodoo Comedy Playhouse, to the Comedy Works Downtown or South.

Fourth of July

Some of the best Denver Summer events include the annual 4th of July celebrations. The fireworks never cease to amaze and you'll be glad you decided to spend your 4th in Denver with the fresh mountain air and fireworks that explode well over a mile high.

One of the most popular events in Denver is Independence Eve at 12 acre Civic Center Park in the heart of the city. There are usually bands and lots of events before the fireworks show.

Some of the other events include the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, a Denver Outlaws game and a soccer game with the Colorado Rapids.

One of the most famous 4th of July events in Denver is the annual Blues Traveler concert. This has been held for over 20 years and continues to be a fan favorite.

Cherry Creek Arts Festival

Location: Cherry Creek North Shopping District (from Second to Third Avenues between Clayton and Steele Streets)

If you want to try an event that is unlike any other, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival is for you. You will find a large selection of food, art exhibits, and more. You can even participate in mural painting.

This weekend long event draws in nearly 350,000 people so make sure to plan ahead. All events are in the Cherry Creek North Shopping District on Fourth of July weekend.

Rockies Baseball

The Colorado Rockies are truly loved in Denver and all of Colorado. They started playing in 1993 and play in the National League West at Coors Field. The stadium is well known for being one of the prettiest stadium in the West.

The Rockies play against teams from both the National and American leagues. This means team such as the The Dodgers, The Giants and the Mets come to town every summer. Regular visitors from the American League include the Red Sox, the White Sox and the famous Yankees.

The Rockies usually play about 40-45 homes games during the summer months. If you get a chance to head to a game, make sure to look for the row of purple seats at Coors Field as those are at exactly one mile high.

Denver Outlaws Lacrosse

The Denver Outlaws are the local outdoor lacrosse team and another one of the fun Denver Summer events. They are part of the Major League Lacrosse League and play all of their games at Mile High Stadium.

The team has a loyal following, since they started in 2006, and won the Championship, and Steinfeld Cup, in 2014. They are one of two lacrosse teams that play in Denver. They have a short season so there are only about 6 or 7 home games during the summer.

Some of the teams that the Outlaws will play include the New York Lizards, the Florida Launch, and the Atlanta Blaze.

Denver Broncos Pre-Season Games

One of the best Denver Summer events is seeing a Broncos game at Mile High Stadium. The Broncos won the Super Bowl in 2016 so they are a huge fan favorite and the tickets can be hard to come by.

The Broncos play in downtown Denver and it's easy to get to and from a game. They typically play 2 home games during the pre-season against team teams such as the San Francisco 49ers, The New York Giants and the Seattle Seahawks.

An Evening Under the Stars with the Colorado Ballet

One of the most wonderful Denver summer events is An Evening Under the Star with the Colorado Ballet. It's fun to watch as it combines many different styles of dance and not just classic ballet.

Since the event is outdoors, you will find a variety of seating options. You can select from premium covered seats or general admission lawn seats (the general admission seats are officially 'under the stars').

Don't miss your chance to catch these exciting Denver summer events when you visit the Mile High City!